The nuisance and unsanitary condition of animal refuse on the ground is of private and public concern. The growth of urban areas and the increase in pets has directed attention to the problem to the point where anti-defecation laws are becoming a part of many local ordinances and codes.
However, whether by compulsion or voluntarily, the need for a satisfactory hand tool to pick up animal refuse from the ground for disposal is very evident. Many such devices are available in the marketplace but most of them are shovels or dust pan type scoops which require transfer of the animal refuse to a separate disposable sack or bag, or if designed to scoop and store in a single operation are complex in construction and/or cumbersome in operation.
There is a need for a lightweight hand tool which is easy to operate and to which a disposable bag can be readily attached and removed in a simple fashion. Such a tool should not require maintenance of working parts nor a continual cleaning of the tool. Such a tool should be operable with a degree of decorum.